Makes sense. I guess because I fly/drive for a living, 4 hours to me is like - nothing. We just drove 8 to see Paul McCartney - but I get it.
Lots for my wife and I to peruse through - so many great thoughts, ideas and things i’m sure we’d never think of on our own.
I do wonder about the sun being out - now it’s out til 8P (in TN) - but of course in Sept it’s going the other way…
It’ll be a great trip no matter what I’m sure…wow, I didn’t realize Maine was such a hot spot at all!!!
Yeah - hotels in Maine require a lot of points - like 40K+ a ight - but Bangor and Augusta are reasonable - Portland - off the charts high!!
We almost flew there (using Southwest points so was gonna be BOS, Manchester or Portland - but we figured the non-stop was better and our only option there was BOS.
I just did quick check. There’re several Marriott hotels near the airport (Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn, and Sheraton) that cost between 24-29k Marriott points per night in September.
Check these hotels near the Portland airport out. It’s not a huge airport like JFK or Boston. Really accessible to things nearby.
Maine is a truly beautiful, magnificent state that is not as much of a secret as it used to be, especially since COVID made it an escape spot. We’ve been going there almost every summer for the past 25 years. We bought a cabin in the Sebago Lake area last year and are on our way there now for the summer, will arrive on Thursday. Though we’ve done just about everything mentioned so far, some more than once, we’re looking forward to doing them all over again. It never gets old. Report back after your trip, @tsbna44, and tell us what you liked best.
Maine actually has never seemed much of a “secret” to me despite being from Pittsburgh originally and now living in Virginia for decades. It was on my radar for a very long time . But, I’ve made a point to see many of the states over the years.
I’m going to throw another plug out there for the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden. One can get a good hike in along a river and they have these really amazing wooden (huge) sculptures.
We knew literally nothing about Maine when we moved here in 1986. Best decision we ever made to move here.
Wow I never knew about this! If we didn’t have the dog with us I’d definitely stop next time we were up that way!
The Jordan Pond RESTAURANT parking lot is where many try unsuccessfully to park. Just up the road from there is the Jordan Pond NPS parking lot. There is both angled parking near the boat launch and a pretty big overlow lot that you drive by on your way to the boat launch area. There is a circle drive around the boat launch area, so we always do that first and, if we don’t find a spot near the launch, circle back around to the overflow lot.
You all are amazing- we have a lot to go over!!
You mentioned lighthouses. A couple more:
If you find yourselves near Rockland, walk the nearly mile long breakwater out to the lighthouse.
Out of the way but spectacular, you could take a ferry to Seguin Island with its lighthouse’s first order Fresnel lens. Plan your visit - local Charter/Ferry services.
We have been there when even the overflow lot was completely filled
I think we may have gone to Jordan Pond restaurant the day we were on bikes, OR we got very lucky and found a parking spot AND didn’t have to wait very long to get seated. I think we were on bikes, and didn’t do the hike because we still had some riding to do/were dressed in bike clothes. Popovers were good. Blueberry soda was not worth the price. We went at a very similar time - got there the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
I have made the coastal Maine trip to Acadia several times in the last few years. Acadia is beautiful but it is also super expensive. I hate paying $400 a night for a Days Inn or a Motel 6 in Bar Harbor. You can stay outside the park but then you waste a couple of hours a day on the car to get to Acadia.
I recently did the following trip and enjoyed it much more than the coastal trip in Maine.
i. Day 1: Boston to Portland, stop at Portsmouth NH on the way, walk around, have brunch. Lobster catching or Whale watching cruise in Portland.
ii. Day 2: Walk about in Portland area, shopping, etc.
iii. Day 3: Leave Portland in the morning and drive the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. Stop by at Echo Lake or or Flume Gorge on the way.
iv. Stay at one of the resorts in White Mountain area. Omni Mount Washington Resort is amazing. White Mountain Hotel and Resort is not bad either. Both will cost around the same as a Days Inn at Acadia.
Days 4, 5, 6: Tons of activities / hiking stuff to do at the resorts and around the White Mountain area.
Day 7: Back to Boston.
The only negative over coastal Maine is food. There are very few restaurants and even fewer good restaurants in White Mountain area. You would either have to eat at the resort or find local joints around your activities.
Yes, us too.
Before retirement, we always went up to Acadia as soon as school let out–mid to late June. It was a little less busy. Since retirement we now go up in mid-May. What a difference!!
Bring bikes. It’s great fun to bike in Maine so much to see. Beware of the “free bikes”. My husband and I were on a Maine Island and saw two stands one said “bikes” and the other “free bikes” We got a bicycle built for two that was “free” Started pedaling down a big hill and then realized the brakes weren’t in working order. We crashed and rolled and still laugh about “free bikes” We were much younger but it could have been a disaster, so pay the small rental fee, if applicable.
We took the bus/tram to Jordan’s pond. All of the parking was full. It was a madhouse. We hiked the trail around the pond and up to bubble rock. We didn’t do the popovers because the line was ridiculous. We bought cookies or something from the store. It was a nice day.
But the bus/tram is really the way to go. Parking was a nightmare everywhere that we saw.
It was also late July when we went last summer
